1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a trouble-light, and more particularly, to a trouble-light with a rotatable shield for shielding the user's eyes and thereby directing light only in a desired direction, and which remains in a selected position until a new position is desired.
2. Description of the Related Art
Trouble-lights conventionally are used to provide light to a work area which ambient light does not illuminate.
Conventional trouble-lights are in the form of a socket for receiving a light bulb at the end of an electrical cord. A cage surrounds the bulb and a hook is defined at the apex of the cage for hanging the light in close proximity to the work area. A portion of the cage is defined by a gate or door to access and replace the bulb and a portion of the cage is non-perforated to define a shield. The shield is intended to prevent the light from shining in the worker's eyes. It is a necessity to position the trouble-light in such a manner so to direct light to the work area, while shielding the worker's eyes. However, when hanging the trouble-light, it may be impossible to direct light in a desired direction, since there are limited positions in which it can be hung. Also, once the trouble-light is hung, twisting of the extension cord of the trouble-light may cause unwanted rotation of the light.
In an attempt to alleviate these problems, several prior art trouble-lights have been equipped with rotatable hooks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,120 provides a rotatable hook for a drop light. While the hook can be rotated independently from the cage and shield, the shield may still rotate so that light is directed away from the work area and into the worker's eyes, particularly if the cord is twisted. This occurs because the shield is affixed to the handle which is in turn affixed to the cord.
Another approach to solving this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,647 wherein a trouble-light is equipped with a rotatable shield having an adjustment knob independent from the hook. The hook is fixed with respect to the cage. The adjustment knob is located at the top of the shield and extends through the cage. A disadvantage of that system is that there is no way of locking the shield in position and, therefore, it may shift from its selected position simply if the trouble-light is inclined or jostled. In addition, the adjustment knob is difficult to access and may become hot to the touch due to heat transfer from the light bulb thereto.
Accordingly, it can be appreciated that a need exists to provide an improved trouble-light with a shield which can be independently adjusted to direct light in a desired direction and shield the worker's eyes, and which overcomes the inadequacies of the prior art.